Cover story 19: An ego but nothing else behind those eyes
One more, one more, a gamblers habit to hit diamonds, because gamblers always quit before hitting big. Flaunting his gun, playing hard to get. This wasn't a game but a test. Bad people do bad things, some good people do bad things, some bad people do good things, who was truly bad?
The shots are set
--
... (What if, I had introduced myself) --
Neova was sitting while relaxing his tense body with slow breathing gestures. Not able to relax himself, he wanted to understand the routine (people did it for a reason), because it was the routine of a peasant that both shows pros and cons with the life of a peasant, like if the water supply was enough to last a week.
“So what are you doing big bro”
“So what are you doing big bro”
“Yeah”, said Akari.
"Let's play simon says, and simon says let's play hide and seek".
"Hide or seek, ... WHAT", said Akari.
“What are you guys doing, go annoy big brother Sakura”, said Neova.
He looked annoyed and went back to doing what he was doing.
“But big bro Sakura always is alone, he doesn't want us to annoy him”, said Ichika.
As she was holding the laundry.
"You can't even look at your deck of cards at peace, sure I haven't seen you guys in years you look older like teenagers ... now all of you go count and I hide".
"All of us you sure", said Akari.
"I am the champion of this for a reason, you know what I will give you three seconds less of counting ok that's how good I am".
"Cool big bro", said Makoto.
"Cool but big bro weren't we playing simon says and simon said we were hiding", said Yuki.
"Sure that works, I nearly got into old habits of being alone all the time, I should spend more time with you guys, ok simon says he will count to 100 very slow and when he finds you you are eliminated from simon says rules and we play something new".
And all of them scrammed trying to hide, all of them deciding to hide inside the closet. Slowly as Neova started to count out loud, bringing out old magazines he's missed and hasn't touched in ages, he almost about to rip them apart because that isn't him anymore, the dumb magazines of blondes he can't tell apart, his new magazine is gonna be about politics, talking as if he was planning on living there again almost forgetting what was at home. Out of wanting to spend more time with his siblings he decides to skip numbers as to make hide and seek more fun. "HERE I COME", he said already knowing where they were. All the siblings although old enough to see the world differently still were as childish as they were back then, all of them screaming no fair. Then they played house, with Neova being the baby, "ALL THOSE YEARS I TOOK CARE OF YOU THREE AS SMALL CHILDREN NOW YOU HAVE TO FEED BURP AND MAKE ME BETTER, NOW HURRY UP BEFORE I TRY AND EAT MY TOYS", and so played all day without Sakura and Ichika in sight.
(YOU HAVE TO LEAVE, THE STORMS COMING).
Everybody is not related to each other, that was why they were known as neighbors rather than family, but the relationship was the same. And yet the reason he left in the first place would make you question why he would ever come back, when their life has gone to nothing and instead of paving your own path you ask another to do the same for you as you sit like a baby waiting in a stroller of your own making. They all kept screaming no fair, "no baby tries to eat their toys and suffocate themselves as fast like this", said Akari and all Neova said in return "This is house not the beach, we suffer because I suffer or the joke has no PUNCHUATION". They played and played all day and night, and as night came by and all of them fell asleep Neova tucking them in went around the house looking if the adults were the same as before.
--
“Don’t you ever wonder what happened to my twin sister”, asked Akari.
Neova loses concentration again, and looks at Akari. As the twin brothers had left to do other things during their play of simon says.
“I already know what happened, I have future vision, I just didn’t wanna interrupt with a sad comment that was unnecessary”, said Neova, he saw the world as mere numbers because he can never look into the eyes and remember what color they were and all else he saw was just that the death of the person in question. He saw what he wanted to see, and he could never fix that fate, unless he tried harder, and those words were enough to turn him into a machine, so he stopped no more of this he said that day he left. But he's back now so what then.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“But why did you leave us then big bro”, she asked.
“I wanted to understand myself better”, said Neova.
“I didn’t know your twin sister as well during the time I was a child, so losing her must be sad but I cannot feel that feeling you know, so to me I only had one twin sister and that was you”, he answered her.
(Not all family try as hard to get to know you, Sakura loved me, Ichika tried the bare minimum, and my grandparents were as good as memories).
“I miss her”, she responded.
(Don't say hollow words).
“Did you miss me”, he asked.
(DON'T SAY shallow words).
“Yeah”, she responded.
.
..
...
"Is it bad that makes me happy, what I did when I was gone was go on an adventure, I became a scientist of philosophy", said Neova holding up his arms while kneeling down.
“But I came back, remembering her is a way to tell others of her existence, it is best you remember rather than not feel anything”, he says as he is about to eat dinner after patting her head.
(I guess I am now anti buddhism, what am I preaching isn't forgetting the most important part of letting go)?
... (What if, I stayed a stranger too them) --
Neova was doing yoga exercises in the morning, but he could not get a single thing done.
“So what are you doing?”, Akari asked.
“Nothing anymore, what happened to your brothers".
(Dang man no answer harsh).
“So what’s your aftername big brother”, she asked while laying on her back looking at the world upside down.
Neova took a deep breath, “What”, he said with full annoyance. As he blinks constantly with what he heard. He either failed successfully or successfully failed, it was the latter.
"Talking about my deceased mother, ruffling my hair, all that's left is telling me what color dye you used to get white hair instead of black", said Akari.
“But what do you mean miss, can’t a stranger pat a childs head".
"I can scream as loud as I want and big brother Sakura will show up to beat you because if you're a stranger patting my head then that counts as pedophilia of a minor, or real creepy behaviour, unless what your wearing is a wig and you really are big brother from long ago", she said quickly plucking his wig off.
"Ok ok no big brother and give me my wig back, that thing cost alot more than you can ever imagine, I am your big brothers eeevil twin and ... and killed him ... yeah".
"What's up with you and murder, you already left once if you wanna be dead so bad why come back, take your stupid wig", she said angry.
"No no, waaaaaaiiiiit I just thought being dead was a quick way of saying my hi and bye and seeing how you guys have moved on to better places ... and to see how a life of a peasant is lived ... I am gonna go to them just for you and say what is going on okay don't whine and if you do not so ... loud".
“You also have white hair, like my brother Atanus and later found out they were always black from the start", she said about to run down stairs.
“Grandma Hana, Atanus is back”, she was about to scream.
“Shut it, the reason I am a stranger is so that I can come and go without problem and without our grandparents tearing up”, said Neova while whispering, "If you scream they will get scared so let me tell them got it".
“That just means you haven’t turned out bad, because you care about us, we should celebrate with a feast”, said Akari.
“Now who told you that”, said Neova riffling her hair and getting ready to go down just as he spots Sakura waiting down stairs.
“Big bro Sakura, he always had a smile on his face as he always did the bare minimum”, she answered stating they will have a bigger panic if they find out of the blue of the information.
“Imma go now big bro, bye”, she said as she swiftly left from Neova’s grip and went to inform everyone of who had returned home. Hana always seemed a bit sad knowing that Atanus might or might not return home, so Akari wanted to treat the family. It felt superficial sometimes, they didn't hate him but never made an effort on knowing him better. Even knowing him at all, maybe a birthday once a year, but when days go by and the bridge is still as wide you get it, even if you try they don't.
Everybody hugged. But Sakura still seemed a bit angry.
Talked a bit with Ichika about the house life as I was told to do the dishes before the meal preparation, it wasn’t necessary since I saw the past as well through her eyes and all the struggles they had gone through.
“So how was life when I was gone”
“We struggled”
“Yeah yeah people struggle”
“So what types of things have you been up to since I been gone, ooh and I finished this one”
“Thanks, nothing much I didn’t have time to do such”
“You seem surprisingly happy sis”
“You came back, ooh but did you hear about about the stars and what they mean”
“Yeah sure sis, plus finished a new one”
(Talking over the dishes, maybe we can be family again).
Pop
Everybody celebrated a party was held at the dining table. Ding dong. A guy in full red, and a guy Neova knew well. A guy who wanted the title king, and decided why not kill his enemy in a way the title king was nowhere in the minds of a dead prey. Because when you are dead, reality is only seen through a third perspective, and you can never be what you dreamed of.
Ding dong.
“Oh who are you?”, grandma Hana asked as she opened the door. “Well I am an acquaintance of Neova over there, hi man IT'S BEEN A WHILE” he says while turning his head to the side after having greeted Hana. Neova with an unfazed expression, takes up his hand saying hi back. Malfonz makes himself at home like a gentleman.
“So who are you, mister?”said Akari.
“I can see where the resemblance comes from”, Malfonz responds a bit annoyed looking at Neova. Fin.